Rift Valley Wildlife - 15 Days
Kenya - Tanzania
Take this journey through famous landscapes that have featured in great films and have a chance to take some shots of your own when you're out on game drives in the Masai Mara, the fabulous Serengeti, and across the base of the astounding Ngorongoro Crater. Starting in Nairobi we travel out into Masai tribal lands in the Great Rift Valley. Then it's on to the Masai Mara for some game spotting, elephant, lions, buffaloes, zebra, giraffes and baboons. We camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha and do a game drive through Lake Nakuru National Park where 'Out of Africa' was filmed. At Lake Elementaita we camp in the bush and then head back to Nairobi and on to Tanzania for two great days in the Serengeti. Last stop is the world heritage site Ngorongoro Crater with its soda lake, flamingos and black rhino.
You may also add a 7-day Kilimanjaro Climb to the beginning or end of this tour.
Day 1
Travel to Africa
Day 2
Nakuru National Park. Leaving Nairobi behind us we set out northwest towards the Rift Valley. En route we stop at the Masai escarpment, giving us our first view of this amazing valley caused by volcanic activity millions of years ago. The Rift Valley runs 6000 kms from the Red Sea into Mozambique and is up to 100km’s wide in places. After a photo opportunity at the viewpoint and a chance to enjoy the spectacular view, we drop down into the valley floor and continue our drive to Nakuru National Park, where we set up camp for our first night on safari.
Lake Nakuru National Park is famous for it’s large population of pink flamingos, which featured in the movie “Out of Africa”. Aside from flamingos, Lake Nakuru boasts a sizeable population of rhinos, both black and white. The more sociable white rhino is a common sight seen grazing on the open plains. However, its less sociable cousin, the black rhino, often remains hidden in the dense bush. Although not native to this park they were introduced here because the park offered good security from poachers and they are being used in a breeding program to maintain and improve the rhino population and gene pool. This park also has lion, leopard, buffalo, plains game and a large diverse bird population, which was the original reason the park was established.
Nakuru is the primary Masai trading centre in the area, and the town is full of the colour of the Masai resplendent in their red shukas (robes).
From the beautiful Nakuru National Park, we head south to the stunning Lake Naivasha.
Days 3, 4
Lake Naivasha. The township of Naivasha is a small sized town with banks and a post office. Lake Naivasha, one of the Rift Valley’s fresh water lakes, is home to an incredible variety of bird life, and we camp on its tranquil shores for two nights. The campsite is set amongst yellow Acacia trees and frequently visited by black and white colobus monkeys. The lake is also home to around 300 hippos that can often be seen and heard from the campsite.
Camping here for two nights we have plenty of time to explore and there are a number of optional activities to choose from, such as a trip to Elsamere - the home of the late Joy Adamson, famous for "Born Free", which is now a museum. Here you will learn about her life, and enjoy a delicious afternoon tea and cakes in the very picturesque location of the Adamson’s home. Other options include hiring a boat to take a trip to Crescent Island, a horse riding safari around Naivasha, or the opportunity to get ‘up close and personal’ walking amongst the game.
Venture out on a walking safari through Hells Gate National Park, one of the only game parks where you are allowed to explore by foot –there are no predators in this game park but you will spot giraffe, zebra and impala! If you tire of walking, why not hire a mountain bike and take off exploring by pedal power.
Days 5-7
Masai Mara. Leaving Naivasha we have an early start for our drive to the Masai Mara. The last one and half-hours of the journey find us on bumpy, dusty, dirt road as we drive across the Loita Plains taking in the scenery. Before entering into the Game Reserve there is the chance to visit a Masai village. Not only can you see inside a traditional Masai hut, but also try your hand at the age-old tradition of bartering for souvenirs. The village is slightly commercialised but still gives a good idea of how the Masai live.
The Masai Mara is the most famous and prolific game park in Kenya covering an area of 1672 square kilometres. It is classified as a Reserve as opposed to a National Park to allow the Masai people to use the area to graze their cattle. A highlight of the Mara is no doubt the annual wildebeest migration when literally millions of these beasts stray north from the Serengeti in search of grass for food, before turning south again. In most National Parks it is forbidden to drive at night so all game viewing is done as early and as late as possible to get the best conditions. Looking for game in a National Park is not always easy. This is one of the advantages of using a truck, which has superior height making it easier to see over the grass. Game parks are places where the enthusiastic use a lot of film so it’s advisable to have some extra. Hopefully we should be able to spot prides of lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebra and hippo and other more common animals such as wart hog, giraffe, and baboon - almost every conceivable species of East African wildlife can been spotted here.
At our camp on the outskirts of the reserve there are many optional activities to enjoy. In the evening there is the opportunity to learn more about the Masai and their way of life with a talk about their rich culture and an option to join them in traditional dancing.
Leaving the Masai Mara we head to Nairobi and have another chance to stop at the rift valley viewpoint.
Day 8
Nairobi. In Nairobi there are the options of visiting Karen Blixons House, the giraffe centre or the animal orphanage. This is also a good time to persuade your tour leader to take you to the famous Carnivores restaurant (optional).
Days 9, 10
Namanga to Arusha. From Nairobi, after we meet up with new fellow travellers joining us, we head towards Tanzania and the border town of Namanga. If there are clear skies we may catch a glimpse of the snow peeked caps of Mt Kilimanjaro.
The following day from Namanga we cross over the border into Tanzania. Tanzanian visas will be required by most nationalities and can be purchased at the border. Please note: USD$ cash will be needed for visas. Be ready to be swamped by Masai ladies selling jewellery, you can pick up some great bargains from them whilst we clear customs and immigration formalities.
Our route to Arusha takes us through the Masai tribe lands and along the western slope of Mt Meru. Arusha is situated on the southern slopes of Mt Meru and was originally a coffee town. These days’ safaris have taken over as its primary industry, and it is now the gateway to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park. In town you will find an excellent market and bakery, along with a post office, banks and e-mail facilities and we will have an opportunity to indulge in some curio shopping here.
Days 11-13
Serengeti N.P. & Ngorongoro Crater. It is not possible to take large trucks into the Ngorongoro Crater, so for the next few days we will be using a local operator with four wheel drive vehicles.
Starting early we begin our journey to the Serengeti, en route stopping at the village of Mto Wa Mbu (Mosquito Creek) where there is a good curio market for more purchases. Prices here are quite expensive though, so be prepared to haggle for a good deal. Further along the road we pass Lake Manyara, the largest soda lake in East Africa, where we will stop briefly to enjoy the magnificent views from the escarpment. Driving through the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area we skirt our way around the rim of the crater itself, before heading down onto the short grass plains, arriving at the gate to the Serengeti National Park mid-afternoon.
The Serengeti is the oldest and largest National Park in Tanzania, its name coming from the Masai word meaning “endless plains”. Its landscape varies from the long and short grass plains in the south, to the central Savannah, the hilly wooded areas in the north, and extensive wooded areas in the west. It is world renowned for its immense concentration of game, in particular its lion and zebra populations and the annual wildebeest migration which commences in July – the beginning of the dry season, when they move in search of pasture towards the Masai Mara. It is a time when you will see the full circle of life for these animals sometimes called “the clowns of the plains”. The migration journey is hazardous and many of the older and weaker animals will lose their lives to predators such as lions and crocodiles. The migration also coincides with the annual rutting season; the calves being born at the beginning of the rains when there is plenty of fresh grass for feeding.
After crossing into the park, we game drive through the long grass plains to our campsite in the Seronera valley at the very heart of the National Park. Campsite facilities here are very basic. The following morning an early start finds us game driving in search of big game. There is also an opportunity to experience a hot air balloon ride over the fabled Serengeti plains.
After approximately an hour ballooning, waiters serve a full English breakfast, together with continental pastries, accompanied by champagne and fruit juice, in colonial dress on long white clothed tables in the middle of the plains.
We return to camp for lunch before making our way back across the plains to the Ngorongoro Crater. Tonight we camp right on the rim of the Crater, where weather permitting, we enjoy a spectacular view into this ‘Garden of Eden’. Camping facilities are again basic.
Early the next day we descend onto the Crater floor for a morning game drive in one of the most stunning natural wonders of the world. At 19kms across and 600m deep this is the 5th largest crater in the world. It is a world heritage site and boasts a unique eco system. The crater itself reflects a mini rift valley. It has a soda lake with flamingos, fresh water, open plains, and a forest area. There is a high concentration of animals here, and it is also a home to a small population of black rhino. We spend around 4½ hours game driving around the crater, before heading back to camp for lunch. Watch out for the black kites!
That afternoon we head back to Arusha and rejoin our truck.
Day 14
Arusha to Nairobi. Departing Arusha we transfer back to Nairobi, arriving into Nairobi approximately mid-afternoon where your tour ends.
Day 15
Travel Home
ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORT
Camping
12 Nights
Kumuka Overland Truck
Safari Vehicle
On foot
HIGHLIGHTS
OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS MARKED *
Kenya
Masai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Naivasha, Horse Riding*, Crescent Island Boat Trip*, Walking Safari in Hells Gate National Park*, Lake Nakuru National Park
Tanzania
Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park
